Are your shampoos making you sick?

The term “natural” is used very loosely today, especially when it comes to personal care products. Many companies use petroleum-based ingredients, like mineral oil, chemical additives and preservatives, but call their products “natural” because they add a few botanical extracts. Tests ordered by an environmental watchdog group also revealed the presence of a cancer-causing chemical in dozens of personal care products that lack warning labels. We at The Laughing Tree Organics do not use cheap fillers, mineral oil or chemical preservatives! You can feel good knowing that our products are 100% pure and natural. Good for you. Good for your world!

Some of the most common chemicals found in our shampoo’s such as diethanolamine (DEA), momoethanolamine (MEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) are added to shampoos and other personal care products like bubble bath and facial cleansers to create the sensation of a rich foamy lather. These chemicals are often listed on labels as Cocomide DEA or Lauramide DEA. After repeated use, these chemicals are absorbed through the skin where they form cancer-causing nitrates and impair the normal function of the brain and nervous system. It’s true! Researchers have found evidence these chemicals can cause harm by interfering with the body’s hormones. In a study of the effects of the three compounds on 1,151 pre-pubescent girls in the U.S., researchers found that the chemicals caused a variety of problems in puberty, triggering early onset. Studies have shown that “early pubertal development in girls can have adverse social and medical effects, including development of cancer and diabetes later in life.” This study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

And What about our waterways?

Many ingredients in these personal-care products are considered emerging contaminants because standard water-treatment plants aren’t able to filter out the tens of thousands of chemicals found in popular, everyday products. Powerful anti-fungal chemical used in many popular dandruff shampoos are the latest culprit to wreak havoc on our oceans. The new study, published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, found that — even in very tiny doses — dandruff-fighting shampoos containing the active ingredient climbazole are throwing off our waterway health!

So What does the FDA Say?

Chemicals are safe, and if not, consumers should know better! The FDA simply states that it’s up to consumers to read labels, know the ingredients and make personal choices about the products they buy. The agency charged with the oversight of cosmetics, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has no authority to require pre-market safety assessment as it does with drugs, so cosmetics are among the least-regulated products on the market. The FDA does not review – nor does it have the authority to regulate – what goes into cosmetics before they are marketed for salon use and consumer use. In fact, 89 percent of all ingredients in cosmetics have not been evaluated for safety by any publicly accountable institution. So What can YOU Do to protect your family and our planet? First off, Read the labels! If you can’t pronounce it and you are not sure what it is, it is probably harmful to you, our planet, or an animal in the process of making it. We have to ask ourselves. At what cost do we justify using these products?

Here is a list from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which highlight just a few of the more common ingredients found in many personal care products today that can be harmful to you overtime, and are in no way vegan friendly.

Allantoin: Uric acid from cows, most mammals. In cosmetics (especially creams and lotions) Not Vegan

Albumen or Albumin: In cosmetics, albumen is usually derived from egg whites and used as a coagulating agent. May cause allergic reaction. Not Vegan

Amino Acids: The building blocks of protein in all animals and plants. In cosmetics, vitamins, supplements, shampoos, etc. Alternatives: synthetics, plant sources. Not Vegan

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids: Any one of several acids used as an exfoliant and in anti-wrinkle products. Lactic acid may be animal-derived (see Lactic Acid). Alternatives:glycolic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid are plant- or fruit-derived. Not Vegan

Benzoic Acid: Benzoic acid is used as a preservative in foods and cosmetics. Many toothpastes and mouthwashes also contain this preservative, as well as a diaper cream. Benzoic acid is a manufactured chemical, and its toxicity is described as: “Toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity.” Material Safety Data Sheets reflect that benzoic acid is harmful to eyes, skin, lungs and the digestive tract.Carmine.

Cochineal. Carminic Acid: Red pigment from the crushed female cochineal insect. Reportedly 70,000 beetles must be killed to produce one pound of this red dye. Used in cosmetics, shampoos, red apple sauce, and other foods (including red lollipops, yogurt and food coloring). May cause allergic reaction. Alternatives: beet juice (used in powders, rouges, shampoos; no known toxicity); alkanet root (from the root of this herblike tree; used as a red dye for inks, wines, lip balms, etc.; no known toxicity.

Colors. Dyes: Pigments from animal, plant, and synthetic sources used to color foods, cosmetics, and other products. Cochineal is from insects. Widely used FD&C and D&C colors are coal-tar (bituminous coal) derivatives that are continually tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties. Alternatives: grapes, beets, turmeric, saffron, carrots, chlorophyll, annatto, alkanet. Not Vegan

Civet: Unctuous secretion painfully scraped from a gland very near the genital organs of civet cats. Used as a fixative in perfumes. Not Vegan

Cysteine, L-Form: An amino acid from hair which can come from animals. Used in hair-care products and creams, in some bakery products, and in wound-healing formulations. Not Vegan

Estrogen. Estradiol: Female hormones from pregnant mareB9s urine. Considered a drug. Can have harmful systemic effects if used by children. In creams, perfumes, and lotions. Has a negligible effect in the creams as a skin restorative; simple vegetable-source emollients are considered better. Not Vegan

Fatty Acids: Can be one or any mixture of liquid and solid acids such as caprylic, lauric, myristic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic. Used in bubble baths, lipsticks, soap, detergents, cosmetics, food. Usually Not Vegan

Keratin: Protein from the ground-up horns, hooves, feathers, quills, and hair of various animals. In hair rinses, shampoos, permanent wave solutions. Not Vegan

Lactic Acid: Found in blood and muscle tissue. Also in sour milk, beer, sauerkraut, pickles, and other food products made by bacterial fermentation. Used in skin fresheners, as a preservative, in the formation of plasticizers, etc. Not Vegan

Sable Brushes: From the fur of sables (weasel-like mammals). Used to make eye makeup, lipstick, and artists’ brushes. Not Vegan

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THE LAUGHING TREE ORGANICS

The Laughing Tree Organics use biodegradable and recycled products for packaging whenever possible. It is our responsibility to do what we can to preserve resources. Because of this commitment, we educate and ask our team and our customers to play their part in this collective program. There is only one earth, and we are all on it together.